Discussion of all social, political and cultural aspects of the American Civil War battles fought in Spotsylvania County, Virginia. Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Wilderness and Spotsylvania.
Antebellum to modern day perspective of the material culture effects of these engagements, both military and civilian. From time to time your blog host will examine other Civil War sites such as Manassas, Gettysburg, and Petersburg.
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Thursday, August 18, 2011

1887 Gathering Appears to Have Been at East Angle

In his August 16, 2011 blog posting at Mysteries and Conundrums, NPS historian Eric Mink presented a fascinating group of images taken during a visit to the Fredericksburg Area Battlefields by veterans of the 57th and 59th Massachusetts regiments. The May 1887 trip included a visit to the Mule Shoe Salient at Spotsylvania. The back of the original image has a hand written notation identifying it as:

My own inquisitiveness, and further prompting by mutual blog reader Todd Berkoff, brought me out to the field yesterday to examine the terrain and see how the current appearance of the landscape matched up with that of 1887. Following the north face of the salient from the Bloody Angle toward the east, I came to find that the image appears to have been taken much closer to the "East Angle", about 220 yards beyond the "Bloody Angle", and the fabled "22 inch" tree felled by small arms fire. In the modern view below, the bridge in the middle distance is the recently rebuilt bridge over the Confederate works, just before they begin to turn to form the east face of the salient. The direction is roughly 97 degrees south east. Click on both images to enlarge. Notice the man at center in the dark coat and light colored hat looks to be holding a plate or canteen half, along with a discarded musket ramrod, probable relics found nearby.

The approximate, modern view above, was taken around 5:30 PM, on August 17, 2011.

What I am suggesting is seen here in the original, is a fence line that runs directly overtop of the trench, thus it would be running essentially parallel to the interior path (former paved road)prior to it taking its turn toward the south. Easiest way to arrive at this spot is to take the rubber mulch path (north face) to the monuments in front of the Bloody Angle past the new "middle bridge", getting then on the grass, to continue following along the north face of the Salient. As you arrive new the furthest bridge step out slightly (north) into the field and begin to adjust your line of sight into an ever so slight south east direction. You will notice the distant ridge seen at middle and left distance. The further back you step and/or lower the height of your eyes/camera, you will begin to see that ridge rise and fall to arrive at the approximate level seen by the 1887 camera. With only the berm of the trench and vanishing point of the former fence to compare with the distant ridge, we can make a fairly good approximate in my opinion. If you would like to meet me out there one morning on your walk, let me know, and I will be happy to discuss this and any other point of interest you may have. It has been a while. John Cummings

Might that be the same tree we see in the original photo? When lining them up and dissolving one into the other and vice-versa the countour of the ground and the tree seems to match up perfectly..one only need imagine a fence there

John, thanks so much for your follow-up research on this photo. Looks like my hunch was correct. Not too shabby all the way from Tampa, Florida! Without the ability to zoom on either photo, it does appear that there is a continuation of the trenches on the left side BOTH photos -- which indicates to me that this is indeed the East Angle, and not the West/Bloody Angle. Great work!

The trench actually passes just beyond the bridge in the modern photo and then begins its swing to the right as it starts to form the actual east angle. Since you have not yet been able to enlarge either image with your current computer access, it seems the slight "ridge beyond a ridge" (as I might attempt to describe it), gives an illusion of a berm extending to the left in the middle foreground. If I can find a moment to prepare a map of the ground I will add it to the post.

John - I'm gonna have to disagree with you on the placement of the fence in the 1887 photo. If the fence were directly on top of the trenches, than the trenches must have been reduced significantly in size in only 23 years. Also, if that is the case than we have seen little to no erosion of the earthworks in the past 125 years. I'm pretty sure that's not the case. Other photos from this visit, that were taken of the earthworks themselves, show the trenches as being back in the woods, behind the fence.

I think we can see that there was significant reduction of the trenches along that line in just two years, evidenced by the Bontecou photograph #96, taken in April 1866. I would like to see the other 1887 image to determine the possible location of the works you mention as being in the woods. We know there were secondary lines and even sections of the apex area still inside woodlines as well as greatly reduced sections of trees directly behind the Bloody Angle. There was a mixed bag. The long, straight section of the Salient we see in both your post and the one Mr. Hennessy posted (taken at clearly different dates I know), still provide evidence that the Landram and McCoull property line was being clearly defined by the owners with this fence, which must have existed prior to the battle and the establishment of the Confederate works along its length. This is why I hold that the fence is on top of or straddling the trench. Thanks for your thoughts.

One thing that continues to confuse me in the 1887 photo are the 1) thick woods beyond the fenceline and the 2) woodline on the left side. In the modern photo, the area on the other side of the fence is cleared of trees -- and the treeline on the left side of the photo appears to be several hundreds yards farther back than the treeline in the 1887 photo. I realize the battlefield's vegetation has changed since the War, but just wanted to flag for the group.

The trees on the inside of the1887 fenceline has been heavily cleared, some of which dates to the construction of the park road in the 1930s. The double ridge feature line up on each other though, with some degree of change in the distant woodline, beginning at about 300 yards distance and gradually increasing as it angles deeper to the left of the image.Anybody who will walk the feature with me and discuss what we see on site is welcome to come along. I would appreciate especially if Mr. Mink from the Park would do so.

Updated. See additional material at end of post. On November 16, 2007, USA Today ran a front page article proclaiming that a m...

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Why I am here:

I am the owner of Spotsylvania Commemorative. I conduct historical research and provide battlefield guide services. Living on the Spotsylvania battlefield has its advantages. The most important to me is that I am right on the ground that played an important but usually disregarded role in the campaign. The actions of May 14, 1864 resulted in the near capture of General George Gordon Meade while it also helped to anchor a new Federal left wing. Known as the battle of Myer's Hill, it focused on what was until recently a wooded summit, one half mile southeast from my driveway. There remains close to 75 acres of land which includes the Myer house site. In 1864 it was a 400 acre farm. I have been trying for more than ten years to influence the preservation of this property. A few years ago some of the cultural resources on the site were damaged during deforesting, including what was a beautifully preserved trenchline built by the Federal 6th Corps. Seeing an imminent threat to the house site, I personally negotiated with the logging company and minimized the damage, while the surrounding acres were clear cut. I have come to know the story of John Henry Myer and his family and the struggle for the farm site they called home. Myer, conscripted into the 40th VA Infantry, watched helpless from the Confederate trenches on May 15, 1864 as his home was destroyed by the Union occupants. It had been intended as a sanctuary from the ravages of war. Their story, and those of countless others, is my inspiration.